Bailor
person who leaves goods in the custody of another, usually under a "contract of
bailment," in which the custodian ("bailee") is responsible for the safekeeping
and return of the property
Bait And Switch
a dishonest sales practice in which a business advertises a bargain price for an
item in order to draw customers into the store and then tells the prospective
buyer that the advertised item is of poor quality or no longer available and
attempts to switch the customer to a more expensive product
Bankruptcy
federal system of statutes and courts which permits persons and businesses which
are insolvent (debtors) or (in some cases) face potential insolvency, to place
their financial affairs under the control of the bankruptcy court; the procedure
is that when the debtor's debts exceed their assets or ability to pay, the
debtor can file a petition with the bankruptcy court for voluntary bankruptcy or
the debtor's unpaid creditors can file an "involuntary" petition to force the
debtor into bankruptcy, although voluntary bankruptcy is far more common
Bankruptcy Court
specialized federal court in which bankruptcy matters under the Federal
Bankruptcy Act are conducted
Bar
1) collectively all attorneys, as "the bar," which comes from the bar or
railing which separates the general spectator area of the courtroom from the
area reserved for judges, attorneys, parties and court officials 2) to prevent
some legal maneuver, as in "barring" a lawsuit due to the running out of the
time to file 3) to prohibit and keep someone from entering a room, building or
real property
Bar Association
organization of lawyers; there are two types, one of which is official and
usually called an "integrated bar," which is qualified by the particular state's
highest court to establish rules for admission and conduct; there are also local
bar associations by city or county which are unofficial and voluntary, but do
conduct the business of attorneys, such as settling fee disputes and working
with the local courts on rules; there is also the American Bar Association, a
national voluntary organization of attorneys
Bar Examination
examination given in each state by either the highest court or, if an
"integrated" bar, by the state bar association (subject to appeal to the State
Supreme Court) for admission as an attorney
Bargain
a mutual agreement or contract between two
parties which is voluntary and involves the exchange of consideration
Barratry
creating legal business by stirring up disputes and quarrels, generally for the
benefit of the lawyer who sees fees in the matter; barratry is illegal in all
states and subject to criminal punishment and/or discipline by the state bar,
but there must be a showing that the resulting lawsuit was totally groundless
Barrister
in the United States, a fancy name for a lawyer or attorney; in Great Britain,
there is a two-tier bar made up of solicitors, who perform all legal tasks
except appearance in court, and barristers, who try cases